Williams sister act goes on the road to Colombia

Serena, left, and Venus Williams laugh during a news conference in Bogota, Colombia, Tuesday Nov. 22, 2011. Venus will make her comeback Wednesday in an exhibition match against her sister Serena in Medellin, two months after pulling out of the U.S. Open because of an immune system disease. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Serena, left, and Venus Williams laugh during a news conference in Bogota, Colombia, Tuesday Nov. 22, 2011. Venus will make her comeback Wednesday in an exhibition match against her sister Serena in Medellin, two months after pulling out of the U.S. Open because of an immune system disease. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Serena, left, and Venus Williams pose for photos during a news conference in Bogota, Colombia, Tuesday Nov. 22, 2011. Venus will make her comeback Wednesday in an exhibition match against her sister Serena in Medellin, two months after pulling out of the U.S. Open because of an immune system disease. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) ? Serena Williams will face sister Venus in an exhibition in Colombia on Wednesday, her first match since losing the U.S. Open final two months ago.

Serena leads Venus 13-10 in competitive head-to-head matches, and both sisters pledged to play hard during the match at Medellin.

Venus hasn't played since pulling out of the U.S. Open in September because of an immune system disease. Serena's last match was her loss to Samantha Stosur in the title match.

Serena says Tuesday they'll put on a "great show," while Venus says she hopes her sister "doesn't play as well as normal."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-11-22-TEN-Venus-vs-Serena/id-7d3a3ae414d54440b482ba67badf1c9b

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When Counterfeiting is Legal

11/22/11 Laguna Beach, California ? If I told you that I had $1.6 trillion on deposit at a local bank, you?d think I was not merely a member of the ?1%,? but a member of the ?1%? of the ?1%.? (Can?t you just imagine the bitter jealousy the other 99% of the 1% would feel?)

But if I then mentioned that ? oh by the way ? I also owed $1.6 trillion to a bunch of people, you?d realize that I probably belonged to the lowest cohorts of the 99%, rather than the very highest echelon of the 1%. In other words, you?d realize that I wasn?t ?ber-rich; but ?ber-poor.

But if I then told you, ?Hey, don?t pity me. I can print as much money as I want. In fact, all of the $1.6 trillion I have in the bank is money I printed for myself.?

At that point, you wouldn?t know whether I belong to the 1% or the 99%, but you?d be pretty sure that I belonged in jail. And you?d be right?until you realized that even though counterfeiting is always criminal, it is not always illegal.

When the counterfeiters wear pinstriped suits, hold advanced degrees from Ivy League institutions, draw government paychecks and conduct their counterfeiting operations in government-sanctioned facilities like the Philadelphia mint, counterfeiting is not merely legal, it is financially sophisticated?or so we?re told.

The process is called ?quantitative easing? (QE)?and it is not new news. Almost every investor on the planet has heard of this process by now and understands ? more or less ? what it is. It is counterfeiting, more or less. The Federal Reserve prints dollars and uses those dollars to buy mortgage-backed securities and/or Treasury bonds. At last count, the Fed owned more than $1.6 trillion worth of Treasurys.

Since late 2008, the Federal Reserve has been buying mortgage-backed securities and Treasuries with dollars it prints expressly for this purpose. Although the numbers are a bit murky, the Fed admits to having purchased at least $1.2 trillion worth of bonds under its publicly announced QE programs. Somewhat inexplicably, however, the Fed?s balance sheet has expanded by $2.2 trillion during the three-year QE operations, as this chart from the Cleveland Fed?s website clearly shows.

So is it $1.2 trillion or $2.2 trillion? Who cares? What?s an extra trillion dollars here or there?

Despite this overt and well-publicized counterfeiting operation, the Federal Reserve still manages to retain a semblance of legitimacy. Even more mystifyingly, the US dollar still manages to retain some semblance of strength and respectability.

For example, the dollar has not lost any value relative to the euro during the last three years. But that?s probably only because the dollar and the euro are both losing value at about the same pace. When compared to gold or most other non-governmental forms of money, the dollar has indeed been losing value during the last three years?lots of value.

Nevertheless, there is no palpable ?dollar crisis,? like there is a very palpable euro crisis. But give it time, dear reader. The chart below presents a trend that should be worrisome to everyone who expects the dollar to hold its value over the long term.

?Over the past year,? CNSNews.com reports, ?as the Federal Reserve massively increased its holdings of US Treasury securities ? and entities in China marginally decreased theirs ? the Fed surpassed the Chinese as the top owner of publicly held US government debt??

Thanks to quantitative easing, the Fed?s holdings of Treasury securities have soared to $1.66 trillion, which is well above the $1.15 trillion of Treasurys held by the Chinese.

?At the end of September 2010,? CNSNews explains, ?the Chinese owned about $340 billion more in US Treasury securities than the Fed owned at that time. But by the end of September 2011, the Fed owned about $517 billion more in US Treasury securities than the Chinese owned.?

The whole-hog purchases of Treasurys by the Fed do not necessarily portend any impending doom for the US dollar, but they do at least suggest eventual doom. Large-scale counterfeiting does not enhance a currency?s value.

The Fed?s Treasury purchases may look and feel identical to China?s Treasury purchases?just like a counterfeit dollar may look and feel like the real thing. But they could not be more different.

The Chinese buy Treasuries with dollars they earn from commerce. The Fed buys Treasurys with dollars they create from paper and ink. Over the long term, commerce is a much more valuable source of capital than a printing press. Commerce, generally speaking, nurtures wealth creation. A printing press, generally speaking, nurtures wealth destruction.

Nevertheless, the temptation to print money is absolutely irresistible for a government in distress. It is so easy?and so ?painless.? Ben Bernanke conjured $1.2 trillion (at least) into existence during the last three years without even breaking a sweat. Contrast that process with the ?Super Committee?s? strenuous failure to raise $1.2 trillion of deficit reductions through the difficult, old-fashion processes of spending cuts and tax increases.

Counterfeiting is easier than austerity?just like fraud is easier than punching a time-clock. But since the Chairmen of the Federal Reserve and the other dirigistes of the US economy have little appetite for the austerity and time-clock-punching that builds national wealth, they have embraced expedient short-cuts to ?prosperity.?

Eric Fry
for The Daily Reckoning

Eric Fry

Eric J. Fry, Agora Financial?s Editorial Director, has been a specialist in international equities for nearly two decades. He was a professional portfolio manager for more than 10 years, specializing in international investment strategies and short-selling. ?Following his successes in professional money management, Mr. Fry joined the Wall Street-based publishing operations of James Grant, editor of the prestigious Grant's Interest Rate Observer. Working alongside Grant, Mr. Fry produced Grant's International and Apogee Research ? ?institutional research products dedicated to international investment opportunities and short selling.?

Mr. Fry subsequently joined Agora Inc., as Editorial Director. In this role, Mr. Fry ?supervises the editorial and research processes of numerous investment letters and services. Mr. Fry also publishes investment insights and commentary under his own byline as Editor of The Daily Reckoning.?Mr. Fry authored the first comprehensive guide to investing internationally with American Depository Receipts. ?His views and investment insights have appeared in numerous publications including Time, Barron's, Wall Street Journal, International Herald Tribune, Business Week, USA Today, Los Angeles Times and Money.

View articles by Eric Fry

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U.S. says giving, not selling, F-16s to Indonesia (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? The United States is giving, not selling, two dozen second-hand F-16 fighter planes to Indonesia to strengthen security ties with an "important U.S. partner," the Defense Department said on Monday,

Elaborating on an announcement on Friday by the presidents of the two countries, the department said Jakarta would cover an estimated up to $750 million to refurbish the late-model fighters and overhaul their engines.

The F-16 C/D models are decommissioned and no longer part of the U.S. Air Force inventory. Retooled and upgraded, they will contribute to Indonesia's "interoperability" with the United States, Navy Commander Leslie Hull-Ryde, a Defense Department spokeswoman, added in an email to Reuters.

Interoperability is the extent to which military forces are able to communicate with each other and share information to achieve a common goal.

"Indonesia is an important U.S. partner and a leader in Southeast Asia," Hull-Ryde said. "The Department of Defense is working to support the Indonesian military in their efforts to modernize the force."

Developing ties with Indonesia, the largest country in Southeast Asia and the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, is a priority for the Obama administration as it seeks to shape the economies and security of the region.

With arms transfers come training, closer military establishments and other ties.

The United States granted Indonesia, "without cost," the Lockheed Martin Corp aircraft and United Technologies Corp Pratt & Whitney engines, Hull-Ryde said, and the fix-up bill "is not expected to exceed $750 million."

President Barack Obama and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono announced the planned F-16 transfer in a joint statement near the end of a nine-day Asia-Pacific tour that Obama used to reassert U.S. interests in the region.

The planes will give Indonesia a "much-needed" capability to protect its sovereign airspace "without compromising the defense budget and other national priorities," the White House said on Friday.

The Defense Department said the C/D Block 25 models will be brought back to "essentially the same capabilities they once had when actively flying in the U.S. Air Force."

The airframes are expected to be upgraded to meet the Indonesian Air Force's current needs, Hull-Ryde said. They are coming from the U.S. Air Force's Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group in Tucson, Arizona.

The transfer of advanced U.S. weapons will help establish a longterm security relationship, partly because the complex technology of U.S. equipment requires regular collaboration between the United States and its partners.

U.S. assistance creates "strong incentives for recipient countries to maintain good ties with the United States," Andrew Shapiro, who heads the State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, told a Washington audience earlier this month.

(Editing by Jackie Frank)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/usmilitary/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111121/pl_nm/us_indonesia_usa_f16

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Life Insurance | The Ones2Watch

Nov 21, 2011

Photography by Nil Hoppenot
Styling by Mae Lapres
Model(s) Mae Lapres @ Marilyn Agency & Herv? Hoppenot
With the Participation of Jean Charles De Castelbajac

Source: http://www.theones2watch.com/newwave/6604

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Vivitar DVR 790HD puts 3D video recording in the palm of your hand for under $100

Sure, you could get yourself a 3D-capable phone to handle your three-dimensional recording needs, though with all the new svelte superphones coming out, we can understand why you wouldn't want to. But, just because your phone can't satisfy your need for 3D, that doesn't mean you have to go without. Vivitar, favorite of cost-conscious cinematographers everywhere, has unleashed its DVR 790HD 3D camcorder with 16MB of built-in memory and a 5.1 megapixel fixed-focus shooter. It records video in three dee and 720p at 25fps, and stores all your gift-giving triumphs and gift-receiving disappointments on SD cards (not included) up to 32GB in size. The price? A mere $99, which leaves you plenty of leftover dough for your holiday shopping -- sure, it's the thought that counts, but we bet your significant other thinks diamonds are far more thoughtful than cubic zirconia.

Vivitar DVR 790HD puts 3D video recording in the palm of your hand for under $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Henderson talks about title shot, rounds and Rocky Balboa

After Dan Henderson won the five-round classic over Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, both fighters missed the post-fight press conference. Henderson took a few minutes to talk about his fight while being tended to by medical personnel.

Yeah, it's cool. He's just getting an IV while discussing that he thought he definitely won the first three rounds and possibly the fourth round, that he would like a title shot at light heavyweight, how Shogun tried to "Rocky Balboa him, and how he thought he was one or two shots away from being stopped.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Video-Henderson-talks-about-title-shot-rounds-?urn=mma-wp9786

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Penn St, Syracuse cases put other schools on guard (AP)

First Penn State. Now Syracuse. Concerned that allegations of child sex abuse in two big college sports programs could trigger more cases around the country, universities are urging employees to reread their school's reporting policies, while more closely scrutinizing the people who work in their athletic departments.

Those reminders were circulating even as news of the scandals kept unfolding.

On Friday, the NCAA notified Penn State it would investigate the school for lack of institutional control resulting from the child sex abuse allegations against Joe Paterno's former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky. The evening before, Syracuse placed basketball coach Jim Boeheim's top assistant, Bernie Fine, on leave after old allegations resurfaced that he molested two former ballboys. Sandusky and Fine each have denied the accusations against them.

In his letter to Penn State, NCAA president Mark Emmert restated a message that schools have been receiving simply by watching the news.

"It is critical that each campus and the NCAA as an Association re-examine how we constrain or encourage behaviors that lift up young people rather than making them victims," Emmert wrote.

Earlier this week at Michigan, president Mary Sue Coleman wrote an open letter to the university community reminding people to call 911 or the police department if they see a crime in progress. "This is a chance to remind one another that a community's values are lived out in the actions of each of us as individuals," she wrote.

At St. John's, athletic director Chris Monasch said the incidents offered a good opportunity to emphasize to staffers "that if there is an issue that's inappropriate you have to deal with it immediately."

"A cover-up only makes it more severe," Monasch said. "Certainly, we do background checks on the people we hire for summer camps and those types of things. We're trying to take precautions, but I don't know how you can prepare for some of those things."

At North Carolina State, athletic director Debbie Yow asks athletes to anonymously complete a thorough survey that includes a question asking if an athletic staff member ever engaged in inappropriate contact.

"I think in this case it was something that was so new, a new type of allegation," Yow said. "You're used to someone saying players are gambling or there's alcohol abuse or there was a fight in the parking deck or any number of things like that ? an NCAA violation, extra benefits. The list is very long that we know about and we try to protect against. This was a new type of issue I don't believe that was on the radar of athletics administrators."

John Burness, the former longtime vice president of public affairs at Duke, said there could be a "safety in numbers," element for victims who keep details of their abuse quiet, but suddenly see a chance to seek justice.

"I'm not surprised, nor would I be surprised, if we saw people coming forward now to make allegations," Burness said. "Because it could be more comfortable to do so. That shouldn't be discouraged. It should be encouraged. At the same time, we have to realize that every allegation is not necessarily true."

At a couple of smaller schools where sports aren't as big a focus, leaders nevertheless used the latest episodes to put a sharper point on their reporting policies.

"We all need an immediate reality check," Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president R. Albert Mohler Jr., wrote in a letter first reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Presidents and chancellors aren't the only ones getting involved. Earlier this week, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal issued an executive order requiring university employees to report sexual abuse or neglect to authorities within 24 hours of witnessing the offense.

New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland are among the other states where lawmakers are considering toughening their reporting standards.

Both Burness and Terry Hartle, senior vice-president at the American Council on Education, compared reaction to these scandals to what happened after the massacre at Virginia Tech, when schools went back and analyzed their preparedness for a major emergency.

"I do not see a crisis coming up," Hartle said. "I do think this will be an experience that will force all colleges and universities to reevaluate their policies and procedures with reporting and dealing with sexual misconduct."

A handful of athletic directors interviewed by The Associated Press said they have brought up the subject with their departments.

In his regular Sunday evening email to athletes, coaches and staff, Minnesota AD Joel Maturi asked everyone to pray for the victims but also reminded them of their responsibility to report any illegal, abusive or improper behavior they become aware of.

At Kentucky, spokesman DeWayne Peevy said: "We take a long look at everything as a staff, re-evaluate what we're doing."

"Some things you can't necessarily prevent, but you do everything you can to make sure there are no red flags and nothing shows up unexpectedly," Peevy said.

Same message at Utah, where athletic director Chris Hill reminded employees it's their responsibility to report any potential crime to the police. At Arizona, athletic director Greg Byrne's letter to staff included this straightforward advice: "The message is simple ? call the police ? call 911 ? if you witness criminal activity or if you believe you or anyone else is in danger." Wake Forest is holding its annual administrative retreat soon, and the topic of how it might handle such a problem is expected to come up.

Although running background checks on employees is standard procedure at almost every university, Burness said the news of the past weeks likely will send athletic directors back to the personnel files.

"That's a proper step for an institution to take," he said. "If you're aware of prior cases, you should probably brush up on what happened, what was found, what wasn't found and who the incident was reported to."

___

AP Education Writer Justin Pope and AP Sports Writers Jim O'Connell in New York, Bob Baum in Phoenix, Lynn DeBruin in Salt Lake City, Colin Fly in Louisville, Ky., Dave Campbell in Minneapolis, Stephen Hawkins in Dallas, Joedy McCreary and Aaron Beard in Raleigh, N.C., Will Graves in Pittsburgh and Nick Geranios in Spokane, Wash., contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111119/ap_on_sp_ot/college_sports_avoiding_scandal

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Anna Kournikova Pregnant?

Is Anna Kournikova pregnant? The timing seems right, she just quit the Biggest Loser and she was seen looking a little more plump than usual with her beau, Enrique, kissing her belly. But you be the judge! Is Anna Kournikova pregnant? Check out these pictures at CELEBUZZ to see for yourself! Sure looks like the rumor is true to me! Here are my other fav links to get your through the weekend. please check them out and enjoy!! Check out Kelly Ripa?s moving goodbye speech to Regis Philbin (Video) at HAVE U HEARD. Is Katy Perry knocked up? THE SUPERFICIAL thinks so! At HOT CELEB SCANDAL Ashton Kutcher makes a bigger ass of himself than Charlie Sheen ever did. I saw the trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman with Kristen Stewart today at Breaking Dawn and it actually looks great. I NEED MY FIX has behind the scene pics and deets! Love it!! Celebs have the life! Check out Justin Bieber flipping the switch on The Empire State Building at I’M NOT OBSESSED. UGGH over it! AMY GRINDHOUSE has deets on how Kim Kardashian?s TV show ruined her marriage. BITTEN AND BOUND – Kristin Cavallari looked amazing at the [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/wBd8RG-E1k0/

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ABN Q3 profits fall on bad Greek corporate loans (AP)

AMSTERDAM ? ABN Amro, which is owned by the Dutch state, saw its profits fell sharply in the third quarter as it wrote down the value of Greek bonds.

Profit slid to only euro9 million ($12 million) from euro443 million a year ago after it wrote euro500 million off the value of its euro1.4 billion portfolio of Greek corporate bonds guaranteed by Athens.

The company didn't discuss other exposures to bad debt in detail, but noted it holds euro26.4 billion in European government or government-backed bonds ? more than half of it in the Netherlands and Germany.

"The macro environment became progressively challenging during the year," said ABN's chief executive Gerrit Zalm, in a statement Friday accompanying the results. Zalm is a former finance minister and was one of the architects of the euro.

He said ABN was being prudent by writing down the Greek corporate debt, albeit by a lesser amount than the 50 percent writedown on Greek government bonds under discussion as part of that country's latest bailout package.

"Even though all obligations have been met to date, the deterioration of the situation in Greece may diminish the quality of the guarantee," Zalm said.

The company's interest income and trading income also declined, which ABN said was due to worsening market conditions.

Last month, ABN Amro said it was eager to buy assets from distressed European competitors, though it is banned from major acquisitions until 2014 as part of an EU punishment for having received at least euro4.2 billion in state aid it won't repay.

The total cost so far to taxpayers of saving ABN is euro33 billion. At quarter's end, the company's net worth was a little less than euro12 billion.

The company has cut 5 percent of staff since the start of the year and now employs around 24,950.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111118/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_netherlands_earns_abn_amro

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Case tossed against accused Selena Gomez stalker

FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2011 file photo, Selena Gomez poses on the red carpet at the MTV European Music Awards 2011, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. A judge on Wednesday, Nov. 16, dismissed a stalking charge against Thomas Brodnicki, who has a history of mental illness and was accused of threatening the Disney star while on a psychiatric hold. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, file)

FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2011 file photo, Selena Gomez poses on the red carpet at the MTV European Music Awards 2011, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. A judge on Wednesday, Nov. 16, dismissed a stalking charge against Thomas Brodnicki, who has a history of mental illness and was accused of threatening the Disney star while on a psychiatric hold. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, file)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? A judge on Wednesday dismissed a criminal case against a man charged with stalking Selena Gomez, saying he did not believe prosecutors had shown he intended to cause the actress and singer to be afraid.

The dismissal will free Thomas Broadnicki, 46, who was charged earlier this month with stalking Gomez between July and October.

The starlet was not present for Wednesday's preliminary hearing during which a prosecutor attempted to show there was probable cause for Brodnicki to stand trial.

Brodnicki has a history of mental illness and was being held on $150,000 bail after his arrest on Oct. 31. Mental health workers had notified authorities that he had threatened to kill the starlet while on a psychiatric hold.

"We strenuously objected" to the dismissal, district attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said. She said Superior Court Judge Edmund Willcox Clarke Jr. ruled Brodnicki "did not have the intent to cause fear."

Gibbons said the office is evaluating its options, which could include re-filing the case at a later date.

A civil restraining order requiring Brodnicki to stay 100 yards away from Gomez remains in place. A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 23 to determine whether the stay-away order will remain in place for the next three years.

Gomez, 19, wrote in a sworn declaration that she is in "extreme fear" of Brodnicki.

Brodnicki was represented by Deputy Public Defender Nick Stewart-Oaten, who did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.

___

Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2011-11-16-People-Selena%20Gomez/id-83add9f9e1bf4bbb8aa9e91c39dcc11c

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Video: Matthews: ?No small things to consider? with foreign policy

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/45330017#45330017

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Video: Sandusky remains adamant about innocence

Conrad Murray being held in jail medical ward

E! News has confirmed that Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson's doctor, is currently residing in the medical ward of the Los Angeles County Jail, and reports are trickling out that the man convicted of involuntary manslaughter may be on suicide watch.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/45312217#45312217

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Congress easily OKs bill for vets, contractors (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Congressional Democrats and Republicans rallied on a rare patch of common ground Wednesday, moving toward passage of legislation helping unemployed veterans and government contractors.

The GOP-run House was expected to give the measure near unanimous approval, less than a week after the Democratic-led Senate passed it 95-0. It would represent the first tiny shred of President Barack Obama's ambitious, nearly $450 billion job-creation package, to become law.

Despite the newfound party unity on this single, narrow issue, Democrats and Republicans also used the floor discussion to highlight their political differences.

Republicans said it was time for the Senate to approve nearly 20 House-passed bills that they say would create jobs, mostly by repealing or blocking energy and other regulations, and they touted Wednesday's vote as part of that drive.

"It sends a message to America's job creators that jobs are our No. 1 priority and that Congress is committed to undoing policies that stand in the way of restoring prosperity," said Rep. Wally Herger, R-Calif.

Rep. Sander Levin said the bill's provisions were modest steps toward resuscitating the ailing job market and said Republicans needed to go much further.

"Passage of this bill represents a challenge to the majority in this House: End your blockade of comprehensive jobs legislation" proposed by Obama, the Michigan Democrat said.

Obama proposed a $447 billion jobs program in September, a proposal that would have continued reduced payroll taxes for workers and employers, extended unemployment insurance benefits and provided money to build roads, modernize schools and hire teachers, police and firefighters.

Enactment of the bill debated Wednesday would let Obama and lawmakers claim credit for protecting jobs at a time when the public is clearly furious over the nation's unemployment rate, which has been stuck at around 9 percent. With the president and congressional Republicans in strong disagreement over how to fix the sluggish economy, he and lawmakers may not have many other job-related accomplishments to show voters in time for next year's presidential and congressional elections.

The bill would repeal a 2006 law requiring the federal, state and local governments to withhold 3 percent of their payments to many companies with which they do business. That statute, which doesn't take effect until 2013, was supposed to pressure contractors to fully pay their taxes, but lawmakers now say the withholding would deny cash to companies that they could better use to hire more workers.

Trying to keep the pressure on, a coalition of around 200 industry groups ? from aeronautical repair businesses to water treatment companies ? wrote to House members this week urging passage of the bill.

"The profit margin for many businesses is often less than 3 percent, meaning that the withholding tax will create significant cash flow problems for day-to-day operations as well as draining capital that could be used for job creation and business expansion," they wrote.

Many economists have said annulling the withholding law would have a minimal impact on hiring.

Erasing the law would reduce federal revenues by an estimated $11.2 billion over the coming decade. It would be paid for by making it harder for some elderly people to qualify for Medicaid by changing the formula used to determine their eligibility.

The bill would also establish new or more generous tax credits for companies hiring unemployed veterans, up to $9,600 for disabled vets who have looked for work for more than half a year. The size of the credit would be based on the worker's salary and how long the worker was unemployed.

Obama proposed the new tax credits in his $447 billion jobs bill in September. The credits would cost an estimated $95 million over 10 years, far less than 1 percent of the overall bill's price tag.

Lawmakers have rejected or ignored most of Obama's jobs plan. The president has made repeated speeches and campaign-style trips promoting it and blaming Congress for not approving the package.

The measure the House was debating Wednesday would also expand education and job training benefits for veterans, improve job counseling that troops get before leaving the military and provide an additional year of job services for disabled veterans.

The hiring tax credits and veterans' programs would be financed by extending a fee the Veterans Affairs Department charges to back mortgages.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/uscongress/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111116/ap_on_go_co/us_jobs_veterans

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How Much Are Your Used MP3s Worth? (The Atlantic Wire)

Last month, Cambridge-based start-up ReDigi launched a marketplace for used MP3s, but even if the record companies let them survive, it will never be the new used CD?store for cash-strapped college students. The site is sort of like a cross between eBay and?Napster. If you're cleaning out your digital closet, you can upload your (legally acquired) MP3s to ReDigi and wait for a buyer. The proposition is a little bit misleading, though. The site boldly promises that you can "MAKE MONEY today!" but ReDigi doesn't actually offer cash for tracks. For each song you upload, ReDigi awards you with a 20? coupon for buying new music on ReDigi. If someone buys your song for the standard price of 79?, you earn an additional 12? in ReDigi credit. You can use ReDigi credit to buy other people's used music on ReDigi, but it will not buy ramen noodles.

Related: The Mystery of Ian Rankin's Missing Radiohead Album

Even though ReDigi is not technically paying people cash for selling used music files, record companies still want to shut it down. The New York Times reports that the company received a cease-and-desist letter last week from Recording Industry Association of America, accusing ReDigi of violating copyright law by offering 30-second previews of songs for which they don't own a license. The RIAA's concerns make sense if you think like a pirate ? why not just make a thousand copies of a single music library and sell them all? Well, ReDigi has obviously thought about this. First, ReDigi insists that they've built technology to keep pirates at bay. The Times explains:

When a user wants to upload a song for sale, ReDigi analyzes its metadata ? a kind of digital fingerprint ? to verify that it came from an official store like iTunes or Amazon. (It does not accept files ripped from a CD, or others whose provenance it considers suspect.)

A desktop program then deletes any copies left on a user?s computer, and can detect if that user tries to add copies later.

Second, ReDigi is kind of a cash trap. For now, you can spend money to buy songs on ReDigi, but you can only earn ReDigi credits for selling. So if you're a pirate and can already illegally acquire as much music as you want, ReDigi would be a waste of time. Until there's another economy for buying and selling ReDigi credits for cash, broke music fans who want to make a buck are out of luck.?

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/digitalmusic/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/atlantic/20111115/tc_atlantic/resellingmp3sterrificallyimpossibleidea44993

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Post office near default? Losses mount to $5.1B

FILE - In this Sept. 6, 2011 file photo, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. The U.S. Postal Service releases a financial update expected to show just under $10 billion in losses for the last year as a weak economy and increased use of the Internet drove down mail volume. Donahoe has warned that the postal service will default on payments owed to the federal government, including $5.5 billion due this Friday for retiree health benefits, and faces a shutdown next fall if Congress does not move swiftly and aggressively to fix the ailing agency?s long-term money problems. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

FILE - In this Sept. 6, 2011 file photo, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. The U.S. Postal Service releases a financial update expected to show just under $10 billion in losses for the last year as a weak economy and increased use of the Internet drove down mail volume. Donahoe has warned that the postal service will default on payments owed to the federal government, including $5.5 billion due this Friday for retiree health benefits, and faces a shutdown next fall if Congress does not move swiftly and aggressively to fix the ailing agency?s long-term money problems. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The U.S. Postal Service said Tuesday it has lost $5.1 billion in the past year, pushing it closer to imminent default on a multibillion-dollar payment and to future bankruptcy as the weak economy and increased Internet use drive down mail volume.

The financial losses for the year ended Sept. 30 came despite deep cuts of more than 130,000 jobs in recent years and the closing of some smaller local post offices.

Losses will only accelerate in the coming year, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe warned, citing faster-than-expected declines in first-class mail. He implored Congress to take swift, wide-ranging action to stabilize the ailing agency's finances as it nears a legal deadline Friday to pay $5.5 billion into the U.S. Treasury for future retiree health benefits.

Congress is expected to grant a reprieve, but that will only delay the day of reckoning for an agency struggling for relevance in an electronic age. Based on current losses, the Postal Service says it will run out of money ? or come dangerously close ? next September, forcing it to halt service.

"We are at a point where we require urgent action," Donahoe said.

In the event of a shutdown, private companies such as FedEx and UPS could handle a small portion of the material the post office moves, but they do not go everywhere. No business has shown interest in delivering letters everywhere in the country for a set rate of 44 cents for a first-class letter.

For the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, the post office had income of $65.7 billion, down $1.4 billion from the previous year. Expenses totaled $70.6 billion.

The loss of $5.1 billion was less than a previous estimate of $10 billion, but only because the $5.5 billion payment ? originally due Sept. 30 ? was deferred until Nov. 18 with the approval of Congress.

In 2010, losses totaled $8.5 billion.

Mail volume this past year totaled 168 billion pieces, compared with 171 billion in 2010, a decline of 1.7 percent. At the same time volume was declining, the post office was required to begin service to thousands of new addresses to accommodate population growth and new businesses.

The Postal Service, an independent agency of government that does not receive tax money for its operations, is not seeking federal funds.

Instead, postal officials want changes in the way they operate so they can save money. They have asked Congress for permission to reduce mail delivery to five days a week, which many lawmakers oppose, and to eliminate or reduce the annual payments of about $5.5 billion to prefund retiree health benefits. The agency also wants the return of at least $6.9 billion it says was overpaid into federal retirement funds.

The service also seeks more layoffs, which are barred by current contracts with its employee unions, and the authority to negotiate with unions on a possible alternate health care system that would cost less.

Postal Service losses have been mounting over the past few years as more private mail and bill payments have been switched to the Internet, and the recession has hurt returns on advertising and other business mail.

Of particular concern has been the decline in lucrative first-class mail, largely consisting of personal letters and cards, bills, payments and similar items. First-class mail volume fell 5.8 percent in 2011, 6.6 percent in 2010, 8.6 percent in 2009 and 4.8 percent in 2008. Traditionally, this mail has produced more than half of total revenue.

Volume for standard mail ? advertising and similar items ? improved somewhat, indicating some signs of economic recovery. But it generates less income.

The Postal Service has struggled to find its role in an Internet age but insists it can eventually return to profitability with legislative changes. It recently launched a TV advertising campaign that pokes at the vulnerabilities of email or online payment, noting that documents posted on a refrigerator or cork board won't get "hacked" or attacked by a virus. "Give your customers the added security a printed statement or receipt provides ? with mail," the ad says.

A postal default on billions of dollars in federal payments wouldn't cause immediate repercussions. There are no criminal or civil penalties for failure to pay, and the health account already contains more than $40 billion so no retiree's benefits are at near-term risk. In June, the Postal Service defaulted on a separate, legally required payment into an employee retirement fund but now says it will make the $1 billion in accumulated payments following a Justice Department review.

Separate proposals recently passed by House and Senate committees would alter or scrap the annual payment requirement while differing widely on points including financial oversight and a reduction to five-day-a-week delivery. Congress is expected to pass a stop-gap spending measure this week that would extend Friday's payment deadline until mid-December.

The Postal Service has said a short-term delay of the $5.5 billion payment won't change its grim forecast of possible bankruptcy next year. Officials also said Tuesday that the proposed legislation currently falls short in reducing health care costs and authorizing immediate five-day-a-week delivery.

"We're hoping for long-term, comprehensive legislation that will solve the issue and make other changes so the Postal Service can be profitable again ? not have more delays that just kick the can down the road," postal spokesman David Partenheimer said.

Last month, the post office said it will increase postage rates on Jan. 22, including a 1-cent increase in the cost of first-class mail, to 45 cents. But the rate increase, which is tied to the rate of overall inflation, will make only a small dent in financial losses. The Postal Service hasn't ruled out the possibility of further stamp price increases based on its dire financial circumstances.

The agency is also considering additional layoffs and reviewing about 3,600 underused post offices around the country for closing, many of them in rural areas.

A recent Quinnipiac poll found that registered voters were broadly in favor of ending Saturday deliveries to help with the agency's financial problems, with 79 percent supporting it. Smaller majorities favored raising stamp prices ? 60 percent ? or closing local branches, about 53 percent.

"The Postal Service is in a tailspin," said Art Sackler, coordinator of the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service, which represents the private-sector mailing industry. "Without congressional action, there is a strong likelihood the Postal Service will have to shut down sometime next summer, dealing another critical blow to the economy and the 8 million private sector jobs that still depend on the mail."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-11-15-US-Postal-Problems/id-c9785b7e11b34a0f92b6baafaafd2f28

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When Money Can Buy Happiness, Use It [Personal Finance]

There are a handful of problems you can't solve by throwing money at them. Happily, money can still solve plenty of them. That's what this post is about?that and how paying for a housecleaner is one of the best things I've ever spent money on.

B-b-b-b-backstory!

I'm historically a very cheap human being. I do it myself when I can. I avoid frivolous purchases. I even avoid non-frivolous purchases. Some people don't have this problem, and instead of steering clear of all but the most sensible purchases, they buy everything they've got the impulse to buy. And then they regret it.

A much more sensible middle ground exists for cheapskates (like me) and spendthrifts: Spend your money where it's going to actually (maybe even measurably) improve your life.

"Improve" Is a Relative Term

Hmm. So upgrading your iPad might improve your life by shaving seconds off load times when you launch Angry Birds. That's something, I guess. But I'm talking more about real improvements. Case in point:

My wife and I spent years arguing over the base-level clean state of our home, both before and after we were married. By almost anyone's standards, I'm a very clean person. Her standards are higher. Bi-monthly arguments ensued.

When you enter situations where the only point of contention is personal preference, arguments quickly turn into absurdist plays. We'd have the same argument every few weeks, and the outcome was almost always the same?that is, we'd argue enough about it that we'd tire ourselves out then agree to disagree (until next time). After watching this play for literally years, we came to a conclusion:

Rather than having the same argument every two weeks, we might actually benefit from hiring someone to clean our house for us. So we did.

It's been a life-changing revelation. I honestly don't think there's anything better we could spend $75 on every two weeks. $150 a month is a big commitment, right? Well, as childless urban professionals, it's within our budget, it saves us time, it's put an end to our ridiculous "disagreement" cycle, and I would happily give up any number of recurring expenses before this one. (We don't have cable and don't miss it. We would without a doubt miss our housecleaner.)

So You're Saying I Should Hire a Cleaner?

No, I'm not saying you should go out and hire a cleaner. (Though if my situation sounds familiar and you can afford it, you might want to.) But the point should be pretty obvious: When you're budgeting how you spend your money, don't ignore something just because it seems like a luxury. Luxuries are relative, and your money will go a lot further toward making you a happier person if you focus it on the things that actually improve your life. (This idea is also at the core of Jason's Comfort Principle.)

If money can solve a problem, you have the money necessary, don't be afraid to use it.

All personal finance caveats apply. Don't be irresponsible. Don't use your money for evil. If you'd be inestimably happier if your boss went missing, that doesn't mean you've got the go-ahead to hire that hitman. Photo by Chi King.

---

You can contact Adam Pash, the author of this post, on Twitter, Google+, and Facebook.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/v1avll8UHDE/when-money-can-buy-happiness-use-it

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Reality star JWOWW says TSA singled her out (AP)

FARGO, N.D. ? Reality television star JWOWW says on her official Twitter account that she was "treated like a criminal" when airport security officers singled her out for a pat down in North Dakota.

Jenni Farley of MTV's "Jersey Shore" says in multiple tweets that her selection while boarding seemed "odd and deliberate." She says she earlier noticed a Transportation Security Administration officer pointing at her while she was getting coffee at Fargo's Hector International Airport.

Farley says she travels twice a week and never went through that before.

A message left with a TSA spokeswoman was not immediately returned.

Messages seeking comment from Farley through her publicist were not immediately returned.

Farley was leaving the North Dakota city after a Saturday night appearance at The Hub, a Fargo night club.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111114/ap_en_ot/us_people_jwoww

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Venezuela hunts for Ramos and his kidnappers

A player of Venezuela's Aguilas de Zulia baseball team, wears a green ribbon on his left wrist to show support for Washington Nationals' catcher Wilson Ramos before the start of a match against 'Tiburones de la Guaira' in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Ramos who had just finished his rookie season, was at his home entrance in the town of Santa Ines Wednesday night when he was kidnapped by four armed men on a SUV, according to his agent Gustavo Marcano. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

A player of Venezuela's Aguilas de Zulia baseball team, wears a green ribbon on his left wrist to show support for Washington Nationals' catcher Wilson Ramos before the start of a match against 'Tiburones de la Guaira' in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Ramos who had just finished his rookie season, was at his home entrance in the town of Santa Ines Wednesday night when he was kidnapped by four armed men on a SUV, according to his agent Gustavo Marcano. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Fans hold candles during a vigil for baseball player Wilson Ramos, catcher of the Washington Nationals, at the entrance of the Jose Bernardo Perez baseball stadium in Valencia, Venezuela, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. The 24-year-old player, who had just finished his rookie season, was at his home entrance in the town of Santa Ines Wednesday night, when he was kidnapped by four armed men on a SUV, according to Ramos' agent Gustavo Marcano. (AP Photo/Lexander Loiza)

Fans hold candles during a vigil for baseball player Wilson Ramos, catcher of the Washington Nationals, at the entrance of the Jose Bernardo Perez baseball stadium in Valencia, Venezuela, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Ramos who had just finished his rookie season, was at his home entrance in the town of Santa Ines Wednesday night when he was kidnapped by four armed men on a SUV, according to his agent Gustavo Marcano. (AP Photo/Lexander Loiza)

FILE - In this June 4, 2011, file photo, Washington Nationals' Wilson Ramos looks on during a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix. According to Kathe Vilera, a spokeswoman for Ramos' Venezuelan League team, the Aragua Tigers, four armed men kidnapped Ramos on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011, from his home in central Venezuela. (AP Photo/Paul Connors, File)

Fans light candles during a vigil for baseball player Wilson Ramos, catcher of the Washington Nationals, at the entrance of the Jose Bernardo Perez baseball stadium in Valencia, Venezuela, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. The 24-year-old player, who had just finished his rookie season, was at his home entrance in the town of Santa Ines Wednesday night, when he was kidnapped by four armed men on a SUV, according to Ramos' agent Gustavo Marcano. (AP Photo/Lexander Loiza)

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ? Venezuelan authorities said Friday they are confident they can quickly solve the kidnapping of Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos.

The abduction Wednesday night was the first known kidnapping of a major leaguer in a country that has dozens of players on big league rosters, and it has brought a renewed focus on rising violent crime in Venezuela.

Deputy Justice Minister Edwin Rojas said investigators were making progress in gathering evidence and had physical descriptions of the kidnappers based on the accounts of witnesses.

"We have faith in the quick resolution of this case," Rojas told state television. He said President Hugo Chavez's government "is working 24 hours a day to solve this case."

Armed men seized Ramos at gunpoint outside his home in a working-class neighborhood in the city of Valencia. Authorities said Thursday that they had found a stolen SUV used by the kidnappers abandoned in a nearby town. Police spread out searching for clues in the area.

Venezuelan security expert Luis Cedeno said Ramos' abductors probably belong to one of the country's highly organized criminal groups that focus on high-profile kidnappings, and are likely to demand a large ransom.

"It's a very sophisticated, well-planned kidnapping," said Cedeno, who leads the Venezuelan organization Paz Activa, which monitors crime issues.

He said judging from previous cases, the ordeal might last months. In one case last year, banker German Garcia Velutini was freed after more than 11 months in captivity, following negotiations and what police said was payment of an unspecified sum.

In such high-profile kidnappings, Cedeno said, the abductors are generally "men who carry out one or two kidnappings a year and they plan it very, very well."

"The motivation is totally economic, so it wouldn't make much sense for them to kill the player," Cedeno said, though he noted that in some cases it has happened.

Neighbors held a candlelight vigil Thursday night outside Ramos' home and prayed for him, as did fans at a baseball game in Valencia.

At games in three Venezuelan stadiums Thursday night, players and fans observed a minute of silence. Some held signs reading: "Free Wilson Ramos!"

Teams added green to their uniforms, some sporting a green ribbon on one shoulder, others a green "W'' for Wilson embroidered on their jerseys.

Katherine Vilera, a spokeswoman for Ramos' Venezuelan team the Aragua Tigres, posted a message Friday morning on Twitter saying: "The kidnappers haven't made contact. All that's left is to be patient, pray and have faith."

In Washington, some fans held a vigil Friday evening outside Nationals Park, the stadium where Ramos' major league team plays.

Someone posted red signs reading "Free No. 3" ? a reference to Ramos' uniform number. The gathering was organized by fans via social media sites such as Twitter.

A total of 87 Venezuelan played in Major League Baseball during at least part of the last season, and some return in the offseason to play with Venezuelan teams.

Security has increasingly become a concern for Venezuelan players and their families as a rising wave of kidnappings has hit the wealthy as well as the middle class.

Bodyguards typically shadow major leaguers when they return to their homeland to play in the winter league, though it was unclear what precautions if any Ramos was taking while at his family's home.

Major League Baseball officials said it's the first kidnapping of a major leaguer they can recall.

Ramos' agent Gustavo Marcano said the catcher, who had returned to Venezuela after his rookie season, was just outside the front door of house with his father and two brothers when the SUV approached with four men inside, three of whom got out and seized the player.

Polls consistently show rampant crime as Venezuelans' top concern. The country has one of the highest murder rates in Latin America, and the vast majority of crimes go unsolved by authorities.

Venezuelans tend to blame societal and bureaucratic failures for the crime problem, which existed long before Chavez was elected in 1998. Still, Ramos' kidnapping could become a political issue for Chavez, who is up for re-election in October 2012.

The country's opposition coalition said in a statement that Ramos' abduction is another sign of Venezuela's unchecked violence, adding that the underlying cause is "this government's negligence."

Chavez's government has created a new national police force and in 2009 passed a revised law that stiffened prison sentences for kidnapping.

Even so, the number of kidnappings has soared in recent years. In 1998, just 52 kidnappings were reported. Last year, police said there were 618 kidnappings reported in 2009.

Cedeno's organization cites other figures showing there were 895 abductions reported in 2010. He and other security experts say the real number of cases is actually much higher because many abductions are never reported to authorities.

Relatives of several Venezuelan major leaguers have previously been kidnapped, and in two cases have been killed.

In 2009, the mother of former major league pitcher Victor Zambrano was rescued in a commando-style operation three days after she was abducted. A cousin of Zambrano had been kidnapped a few days earlier, and was later killed.

Colorado Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealba's 11-year-old son and brother-in-law were kidnapped in 2009 and released a day later.

A brother of Venezuelan catcher Henry Blanco, who now plays for the Arizona Diamondbacks, was kidnapped and killed in 2008.

The mother of two-time All-Star pitcher Ugueth Urbina spent more than five months in captivity until she was rescued in early 2005.

____

AP Sports Writer Ron Blum in New York contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-11-11-BBN-Venezuela-Ramos-Abducted/id-4d4dc36983a5495280bf31045ed398ac

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Oscars Academy honors Vanessa Redgrave in London

FILE - In this Monday, March 3, 2003 file photo UNICEF goodwill ambassador and British actress Vanessa Redgrave listens to questions at a UNICEF press conference in Berlin. Hollywood's film academy is honoring acting icon Vanessa Redgrave at a star-studded ceremony in London. Meryl Streep, Ralph Fiennes and James Earl Jones are scheduled to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tribute to Redgrave's 50-year career on Sunday Nov. 13, 2011. A member of a famous British acting dynasty, Redgrave is also known for her left-wing political activism. The 74-year-old actress has been nominated for six Oscars and won for her supporting role as an anti-Nazi activist in 1977's "Julia." (AP Photo/Franka Bruns)

FILE - In this Monday, March 3, 2003 file photo UNICEF goodwill ambassador and British actress Vanessa Redgrave listens to questions at a UNICEF press conference in Berlin. Hollywood's film academy is honoring acting icon Vanessa Redgrave at a star-studded ceremony in London. Meryl Streep, Ralph Fiennes and James Earl Jones are scheduled to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tribute to Redgrave's 50-year career on Sunday Nov. 13, 2011. A member of a famous British acting dynasty, Redgrave is also known for her left-wing political activism. The 74-year-old actress has been nominated for six Oscars and won for her supporting role as an anti-Nazi activist in 1977's "Julia." (AP Photo/Franka Bruns)

FILE -- In this Thursday, Jan. 24, 2008 file photo actress Vanessa Redgrave acknowledges the applause for her Hall of Fame prize during the distribution of the DIVA Entertainment Awards 2008 in Munich, southern Germany. Hollywood's film academy is honoring acting icon Vanessa Redgrave at a star-studded ceremony in London. Meryl Streep, Ralph Fiennes and James Earl Jones are scheduled to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tribute to Redgrave's 50-year career on Sunday Nov. 13, 2011. A member of a famous British acting dynasty, Redgrave is also known for her left-wing political activism. The 74-year-old actress has been nominated for six Oscars and won for her supporting role as an anti-Nazi activist in 1977's "Julia." (AP Photo/Diether Endlicher)

FILE In this March 24, 1968 file photo actress Vanessa Redgrave and her brother Corin, right, are seen during an anti-Vietnam War rally held in Trafalgar Square, London. Hollywood's film academy is honoring acting icon Vanessa Redgrave at a star-studded ceremony in London. Meryl Streep, Ralph Fiennes and James Earl Jones are scheduled to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tribute to Redgrave's 50-year career on Sunday Nov. 13, 2011. A member of a famous British acting dynasty, Redgrave is also known for her left-wing political activism. The 74-year-old actress has been nominated for six Oscars and won for her supporting role as an anti-Nazi activist in 1977's "Julia." (AP Photo)

LONDON (AP) ? Hollywood's film academy is honoring acting icon Vanessa Redgrave at a star-studded ceremony in London.

Meryl Streep, Ralph Fiennes and James Earl Jones are scheduled to join Sunday's Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tribute to Redgrave's 50-year career.

A member of a famous British acting dynasty, Redgrave is also known for her left-wing political activism.

The 74-year-old actress has been nominated for six Oscars and won for her supporting role as an anti-Nazi activist in 1977's "Julia."

In her acceptance speech, she praised the academy for not bowing to "Zionist hoodlums" who had objected to the nomination because of her support for the Palestinian cause.

She is currently starring in London's West End alongside Jones in "Driving Miss Daisy."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2011-11-13-EU-Britain-Oscars-Redgrave/id-b082de478d07467d94d40274d63f60e4

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Elderly Georgia men plead not guilty in toxin plot case (Reuters)

GAINESVILLE, Ga (Reuters) ? Four elderly Georgia men pleaded not guilty in federal court on Wednesday to charges linked to an alleged plot to blow up government buildings and disperse a deadly toxin along interstate highways.

The Justice Department has said the men were members of a fringe domestic militia group and had planned to manufacture ricin for use in their attacks.

Clad in orange prison jumpsuits and flanked by their court-appointed attorneys, each man stood as Magistrate Judge Susan Cole called their names and asked for a plea.

"Not guilty," each one replied in a quiet voice.

After the arraignment, Cole convened a hearing to determine whether the defendants should be released on bond.

She heard testimony and arguments relating to Frederick Thomas, 73, of Cleveland, Georgia, who faces federal charges of conspiring to possess an unregistered explosive and an unregistered silencer.

Cole pushed back bond hearings for the other three until next Tuesday, saying she wouldn't rule until all the men had a chance to make their case for bail.

Thomas' co-defendants are Emory Dan Roberts, 67, Ray Adams, 65, and Samuel Crump, 68, all of Toccoa, Georgia. Roberts was charged with conspiring to possess an unregistered explosive and a silencer. The others were charged with conspiring to produce ricin, a biological toxin derived from beans.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert McBurney, arguing against releasing Thomas, referred to secretly taped conversations in which Thomas "talked about political assassinations for months and months."

"He discussed killing ATF, FBI and IRS agents" as well as former U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney of Atlanta," McBurney said, adding that it was not simply "repugnant talk, frightening talk" but a vow "to take action against a government he once served."

Thomas, who spent three decades in the Navy, "changed his perspective and vowed to strike back," McBurney said.

A search of Thomas' home turned up 52 guns, including assault rifles and pistols with extended magazines, as well as 30,000 rounds of ammunition, McBurney said.

The prosecutor dismissed notions that Thomas' age and ailing health made it unlikely he could carry out a violent act.

"His strike would be surgical," McBurney said. "He could pull the trigger just like you and I could."

Charlotte Thomas, the prisoner's wife of 51 years, testified that her husband was "the most patriotic man I've ever known. He loves his country."

Thomas, she added, was a gun collector and had been for many years. Referring to the cache of weapons confiscated by the FBI, she said: "It's not an arsenal put together to assassinate people."

(Editing by Peter Bohan and Cynthia Johnston)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111110/us_nm/us_crime_georgia_toxin

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1% Of Nothing Launches To Get Startups Donating Equity

Shervin?Pishevar and Matt Galligan have just formally announced the beta launch of their new organization 1% of Nothing. It's aimed at?inspiring early-stage companies to donate 1% of their equity to a cause of their choice. The idea is that startups pledge 1% when that equity may be worth nothing, but if they're acquired, that 1% becomes a significant donation. Starting today, whole companies and individual employees alike can make the pledge to donate 1% of their equity.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/oww7gAsJxMw/

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Today's cartoons: Debt supercommittee drops a bombshell of sorts

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Adobe ?Restructures,? Eliminates 750 Jobs In North America And Europe

We've been hearing rumors of Adobe layoffs all day, and the company just released a statement announcing that it is 'restructuring' its business, which will result in the elimination of 750 jobs in North America and Europe. From the release: In order to better align resources around Digital Media and Digital Marketing, Adobe is restructuring its business. This will result in the elimination of approximately 750 full-time positions primarily in North America and Europe. We expect to record in the aggregate approximately $87 million to $94 million in pre-tax restructuring charges.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/6EU-r3M29Aw/

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Doctor gaps in Texas persist despite Perry's stats

PRESIDIO, Texas (AP) ? Presidio County is bigger than Delaware and has just one practicing physician who doesn't deliver babies or treat emergencies. It's the kind of underserved region that Gov. Rick Perry suggested would benefit when he proposed a crackdown on medical malpractice lawsuits in 2003.

Now running for president, Perry says his tort reform plan proved the wisdom of his business-friendly policies by expanding health care across the state.

Yet none of the 23,000 doctors Perry says Texas has newly licensed have come this way.

"Some patients, when they find out they're pregnant, bam ? they're out of here," said Dr. Darrell Parsons, whose practice in Presidio is just across the Rio Grande from Ojinaga, Mexico.

An analysis of Perry's tort reform initiative in Texas reveals a more complicated bottom line than his campaign rhetoric on the issue would suggest. State medical data show that the number of physicians practicing in Texas has increased since the initiative passed in 2003, though by considerably less than the total Perry cites. And the bulk of that influx has come in larger cities where health care was already abundant, leaving large rural swaths of Texas still without doctors.

In many ways, the growth in the health industry in Texas adds more fodder to a larger debate surrounding Perry's record: How effective were his conservative policies in solving problems and increasing jobs, which is the core issue of his presidential campaign? And how much of Texas' economic growth during his 11 years in office mostly reflected a state with a booming energy industry and an increasing population?

Discussing his malpractice reforms in a speech in Georgia in September, Perry said, "Pregnant women have better access to OB-GYNs. People in need of trauma care have better access to neurosurgeons and other specialists. That's what tort reform is really all about. About how to give better access to the people of my home state. We need to spread lawsuit reform across all economic sectors of this country."

However, medical records in Texas show that of the state's 254 counties, only 106 have an obstetrician/gynecologist ? just six more than in 2003. In Presidio County, which has 8,000 residents and is growing, some of Parsons' patients move 240 miles away to live with relatives in Odessa or Midland when they become pregnant.

Overall, the increase in physicians in Texas roughly tracked the state's population growth. Medical rolls increased by 24 percent since 2003, while Texas' population was soaring by 20 percent during the decade. Texas also saw rapid growth of physicians per capita before tort reform, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

The statistic Perry most often cites ? 23,000 newly licensed doctors after tort reform ? includes about 10,000 who sought licenses in Texas but took jobs elsewhere and physicians practicing telemedicine in other states.

Tort reform lobbyists point to a surge in the number of doctors in some high-risk specialties like surgery and emergency room care, particularly in the growing Rio Grande Valley.

"By no means do we claim that all doctors new to Texas are because of tort reform. But we absolutely claim that the accelerated growth is because of tort reform," said Jon Opelt, executive director of the Texas Alliance for Patient Access.

Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle said tort reform ended "abusive oversuing" and played a role in Texas today having a record number of doctors per capita.

"Tort reform has resulted in better access to care, which includes more specialized care that is now available in more Texas communities thanks to these reforms, and that is absolutely a success," Castle said.

Health care shortages have plagued rural Texas for decades and few regions struggle more than West Texas. In Pecos, about a four-hour drive north of Presidio through sprawling ranchland and mountains, Mayor Venetta Seals recalled the wife of a California couple who became ill while traveling through the area earlier this year. By the time they reached the closest hospital nearly 200 miles away, the woman had died in the car.

Seals joked that the region perhaps needed signs on the Interstate informing drivers they're nowhere near a hospital. "Think about if you had a wreck, and just to get an ambulance took an hour," Seals said. "And that's one-way."

Perry made access to health care a major argument for tort reform in the initiative's advertising campaign in 2003, saying the state was hemorrhaging doctors because of lawsuits and malpractice insurance costs. The ballot issue, Proposition 12, became the most expensive campaign ever waged to amend the Texas Constitution. More than $15 million was spent in the showdown between trial lawyers and health care interests.

In a speech to the conservative Heritage Foundation that year, Perry told a New York audience how three out of five Texas counties lacked an obstetrician.

"That's a hardship for many pregnant women in certain areas of our state, but especially women with high-risk pregnancies," Perry said.

Eight years later, that ratio is the same.

In rural areas, doctors, including Parsons, nevertheless insist the lawsuit limit capping noneconomic damages at $250,000 was justified. Doctors statewide have seen their liability rates drop by an average of 27 percent, according to the Texas Medical Association. Parsons said he wouldn't have stayed in Presidio without the new caps.

"You don't have that hanging over your head," Parsons said.

Recruiting doctors in rural areas, however, is difficult. And another aspect of Texas' government philosophy ? a low Medicaid reimbursement rate, ranking 49th in the nation, and sparse public spending ? makes practicing in rural areas here less appealing than in other states. "Obstetricians want good education for their children and reasonable reimbursement for their services," said James Scroggs, director of health economics for the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Parsons, a Kansas City native who began practicing in nearby Alpine in 1999, says it takes a "missionary spirit" to become a doctor in a place like this. And residents get used to doing without much health care.

"Out here, you get sick or hurt on Monday or Thursday. That's the day the clinic is open," said Zachary Zniewski, a carpenter in neighboring Brewster County. He looks down at his hand, which is missing a finger.

He accidentally sliced it off on a Wednesday.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2011-11-07-Perry-Tort%20Reform/id-4050420f7b56427e8541ff3de1bb9a53

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